Galvanic truss-pad.



No. 639,l47. Patented Dec. l2, I899. S. S. CARPENTER.

GALVANIC TRUSS PAD.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

S IglVl-ILNTB m WITNESSES UNiTnD STATES P TENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER S. CARPENTER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GALVANIC TRUSS-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,147, dated December 12, 1899.

Application filed April 24., 1899.

To all whom it ntayconoern:

Be it known that I, SYLvEsTER S. CARPEN- TER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Truss- Pads, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, which relates to truss-pads, has for its object to provide an article of the class specified having provision for the generation of a galvanic current by the action of the body fluids.

Theinvention consists in the improvements which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a transverse sectional view of a truss-pad constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the pad.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in both the figures.

Referring to the drawings, a is the central body portion, composed of wood or other suit able insulating material. To the fiat back or top of this body is secured a metal plate d by means of screws d d, and on top of the said plate (1 is fastened a boss or post 2, having an inclined slot 6 for the reception of a portion of the truss to which the truss-pad is attached and having a clamping screw e screwing through the top of said post and through the slot e.

b is a thin metal sheath covering the body portion a of the pad, and c is a second or outer thin metal sheath superimposed upon the sheath 2). The two metals composing these sheaths are preferably of different character. For instance, the inner sheath b may be composed of copper and the outer sheath 0 of aluminium, the latter metal forming a good non corrosive surface for the pad. The

sheathing is pierced at intervals by studs,

which preferably take the form of nails f f or Serial No. 714,237. (No model.)

screws or other attaching devices, acting to attach the layers 1) c of said sheathing to the body a and having their heads flush with the outer surface of the sheathing. These nails serve to prevent the sheathing from leaving the wooden body a, which would be apt to occur from the shrinking'of the wood. They are preferably made of the same metal as the inner sheath b--namely, copper.

The action of the moisture or fluids of the body upon the sheathing of the truss-pad when in use produces a galvanic current which has a beneficial action upon the tissues. The galvanic elements are the sheath-layer c on the one hand and the studs f f on the other, the two being composed of metals having opposite galvanic or electrical properties,placed in position to be jointly subject to the action of the body fluids.

I do not wish to be confined to the two metals specified for the material of the padsheathing, as other metals may be found equally suitable.

I claim 1. A truss-pad having a suitable insulating body portion, an outer sheath, and a series of studs piercing said sheath and serving to attach the same to the body portion, said sheath and studs being composed of metals which will produce a galvanic current by the action of the body fluids.

2. A truss-pad comprising the body a of insulating material, the inner metal sheath 1), the outer metal sheath 0, and the attaching devices f f piercing the two sheaths and embedded in the material of the body a.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SYLVESTER S. CARPENTER.

Witnesses:

G. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

